RECIPE FOR HEALTH: Turkey Sausage, Tomato & Spinach Frittata
After 11 successful seasons of his Food Network show Restaurant: Impossible, chef Robert Irvine is shifting his attention from struggling restaurateurs to everyday folks struggling with health and fitness goals. His answer to those stuck in a rut is his new book, Fit Fuel: A Chef’s Guide to Eating Well, Getting Fit, and Living Your Best Life (Irvine Products 2015), which is a distillation of his lifetime of training, infused with his unique brand of tough love. In this recipe excerpt, Irvine delivers a solid breakfast, “because the breakfast of champions doesn’t come in a box.”
“Baby spinach and eggs together—now you’ve got a breakfast both Popeye and Rocky Balboa would approve of!” declares Irvine in the kickoff to this dish. “Add turkey sausage and you’ve got even more lean protein to round out this frittata and turn it into a perfectly balanced meal: high in protein, fiber and healthy fats, and relatively low in carbohydrates.
“I might add that this dish is almost completely idiot-proof. It will also taste fresh for up to
days after it’s baked, so you’ve got the green light to make extra for later in the week, when you be short on time,” he adds.
Watch Irvine prepare the dish at www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrLWI69MyTI.
- nonstick, nonfat cooking spray
- 1⁄2 C turkey sausage, cooked and diced 1⁄2 C onions, diced
- 3⁄4 C Swiss cheese, shredded
- 1 C baby spinach leaves
- 1 C nonfat cottage cheese
- 1⁄2 C tomatoes, diced
- 1⁄2 C nonfat evaporated milk
- 1⁄4 C reduced-fat cheddar cheese 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1 t baking powder
Recipe Key:
C = cup
t = teaspoon
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a large nonstick sauté pan with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onions and sauté for 3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Set mixture aside. Coat a 9-inch pie pan or cast-iron skillet with cooking spray, then sprinkle 1⁄4 C Swiss cheese into the pan. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, including the sausage and onion mixture sautéed earlier. Add to the pie pan/cast-iron skillet. Pour egg mixture over all, distribute all ingredients evenly and then place the pan in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle of the frittata comes out clean. Makes two servings.
Nutrition information: 487 calories; 47 g protein; 22 g fat; 27 g carbohydrate.
Source: Recipe reprinted with permission from Irvine Products, LLC. All rights reserved. www.chefirvine.